Berlin. With 54,280 so-called finishers, the Berlin Marathon has become the largest marathon in the world in its 50th edition. The organizers announced the number of starters who reached the finish at the Brandenburg Gate after 42.195 kilometers after the finish line in the evening.
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The organizers thus exceeded their goal set before the race that more than 50,000 people would complete the entire distance in Berlin for the first time on the anniversary. Peter Bartel was the last to reach the finish line – he was also there at the premiere in Grunewald in 1974. Shortly before the finish, the now 82-year-old, who has an artificial knee joint, stumbled and threatened to stumble, but was able to catch himself. Then he knelt on the ground, kissed the finish line and crossed the finish line in 8:59:18.
Günther Hallas, who won the Berlin Marathon in 1974 in 2:44:53 hours, was also there – for the 43rd time. The moderator stopped him briefly at the Brandenburg Gate and introduced him to those standing by: “50 years after winning the marathon, he has reached the finish line again!” To cheers, Hallas, who also now has an artificial knee joint, set off for the last few meters and reached the finish line the finish after 7:02:33 hours.
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When Günther Hallas and Peter Bartel competed for the first time, they were two of 286 runners. This time a record number of 58,212 people from 161 nations registered.
The victories already went to the aces from Ethiopia on Sunday afternoon. In the men’s race, the World Cup sixth place winner Milkesa Mengesha won in 2:03:17 hours, and in the women’s race Tigist Ketema won in 2:16:42 hours. Since the big stars were missing this time a few weeks after the Olympics in Paris, after 13 world records, no further record was within reach.
